Insights

6 Undeniable Reasons to Invest in SEO

Whether you run a small blog or large-scale e-commerce website, you should optimize it for higher search rankings. An effective search engine optimization (SEO) strategy requires time, dedication and resources. However, most seasoned marketers agree that it’s well worth the investment; here’s why.

1) It’s Cost Effective

SEO is one of the most cost-effective digital marketing solutions. While pay-per-click (PPC) platforms offer loads of targeted traffic, they can quickly drain your budget. According to WordStream, the average cost per click (CPC) on Google AdWords is between $1 and $2. That means you’ll spend roughly $100 to $200 for every 100 users who click your ad and visit your website.

Optimizing your website for higher search rankings is a more cost-effective solution. Unlike PPC, you don’t have to pay for clicks with organic search traffic. All clicks are free, making SEO the perfect marketing solution for small businesses on a budget.

2) Dominate Local Search Results

Statistics show that 60% of local searches lead to a sale or conversion. So investing in SEO — and optimizing your website for local traffic — can prove beneficial for your business. When users in your area search for a keyword associated with your business, they’ll find your listing more easily. And assuming this statistic is correct, more than half will visit your business and buy your product.

3) Increased Brand Recognition

SEO allows for increased brand recognition. Whenever someone searches for your keyword, they’ll see your website’s URL, title and description in the listing, regardless of whether or not they actually click the listing and visit your site.

Once you’ve achieved a top search ranking through SEO, you can sit back and reap the benefits of increased brand recognition. Over time, your audience will associate your brand with its niche/industry. The next time they need a product or service you offer, they’ll feel more inclined to choose your business.

4) Embrace Mobile

Did you know that more people use smartphones and other mobile devices to access the Internet than desktop and laptop computers? SEO allows webmasters to embrace the mobile revolution by optimizing their websites for this ever-increasing traffic.

Both Google and Bing have announced mobile compatibility as a ranking signal for their respective algorithms, meaning you’ll have an easier time ranking n the search results for your target keywords when using a mobile-friendly web design such a responsive template, separate mobile domain, or dynamically serving HTML and CSS based on user agent.

Run your website through Google’s mobile-friendly testing tool to see if it’s compatible with mobile devices. If it’s not mobile friendly, update your site’s design ASAP.

5) Beat Your Competitors

SEO allows business owners to beat their competitors. If a prospective customer has to choose between two business, one with a high-ranking website and another with a low-ranking website, which will they choose? Yep, they’ll probably choose the high-ranking website.

You can surpass your competitors in the search rankings, however, by investing in SEO. And once you rank higher than their websites, you’ll attract more customers and generate more sales.

6) Increased Organic Traffic

SEO can, and will, increase your website’s organic search traffic. Ask yourself: when was the last time that you scrolled through multiple pages of search results to find a listing? According to Search Engine Journal, 75% of searchers never scroll past the first page of results. If your website is two, three or four pages deep for its target keywords, it won’t receive much traffic. But if your website ranks high on the first page, it will receive lots of highly targeted traffic.

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